Tricot knit fabric having balanced stretch characteristics, and method of making same

Abstract

A knit fabric having knit-in elastic yarns and substantially balanced stretch characteristics in the walewise and coursewise directions is described, as well as a method of making such a fabric. The fabric can be tricot knit to include knit in elastic yarns, and forms an oscillating cable pattern in the walewise direction. The fabric has good stretch characteristics in both the coursewise and walewise directions, with the stretch in the walewise direction being substantially the same as that in the coursewise direction. The fabric also has good opacity, even when stretched.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An elastic-containing tricot fabric having a first degree of stretch in the coursewise direction and a second degree of stretch in the walewise direction, wherein the ratio between the first and second degrees of stretch is about 1 to about 1.5.  
     
     
         2 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the first and second degrees of stretch is about 1 to about 1.25.  
     
     
         3 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the first degree of stretch in the coursewise direction is substantially equal to the second degree of stretch in the walewise direction.  
     
     
         4 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein said fabric defines a pattern of oscillating cables extending in a walewise direction along the fabric.  
     
     
         5 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the first degree of stretch is about 60% to about 160% when tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         6 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the second degree of stretch is about 60% to about 160% when tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         7 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the first degree of stretch is about 75% to about 105% when tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         8 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the second degree of stretch is about 75% to about 105% when tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         9 . The fabric according to  claim 1 , wherein the first degree of stretch is about 75% to about 105% and the second degree of stretch is about 75% to about 105% when the fabric is tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         10 . A tricot knit fabric having knit in elastic yarns, wherein the ratio of stretch in the walewise direction of said fabric versus the stretch in the coursewise direction is between about 1 and about 1.5  
     
     
         11 . The fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein the stretch in each of the coursewise and walewise directions is about 60% to about 160% when tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         12 . The fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein the stretch in each of the coursewise and walewise directions is about 60% to about 160% when tested according to ASTM D4964-1996.  
     
     
         13 . The fabric according to  claim 10 , wherein said fabric is formed from a three guide bar arrangement, wherein the third guide bar follows a 2-1/1-2/2-1/1-2/1-0/0-1/1 -0/0-1// pattern, the second guide bar follows a 3-4/1-0// pattern, and the first guide bar follows a 1-0/1-2// pattern.  
     
     
         14 . The fabric according to  claim 13 , wherein the third guide bar forms a plurality of spaced apart oscillating cables in the fabric.  
     
     
         15 . The fabric according to  claim 13 , wherein portions of fabric made from yarns supplied by the second and third guide bars comprise substantially non-elastic yarns and portions of the fabric made from yarns supplied by the first guide bar comprise elastic yarns.  
     
     
         16 . A method of making a knit fabric comprising the steps of: 
 knitting a third guide bar in a 2-1/1-2/2-1/1-2/1-0/0-1/1-0/0-1// pattern, and knitting a second guide bar in a 3-4/1-0 pattern; and    knitting a first guide bar threaded with elastic yarns in a 1-0/1-2 pattern, to thereby form a fabric having substantially balanced stretch characteristics.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein said third guide bar is threaded with substantially non-elastic yarns.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein less than all of the guides in the third guide bar contain yarns.  
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , wherein said third guide bar defines a first plurality of guides which contain yarns and a second plurality of guides which do not contain yarns.  
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein said first plurality of guides and said second plurality of guides form alternating sets of threaded and unthreaded guides, with the threaded guides containing yarns and the unthreaded guides not containing yarns.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein each alternating set of threaded guides contains the same number of guides as each alternating set of unthreaded guides.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein each set of threaded guides comprises three guides and each set of unthreaded guides comprises three guides.